


Telescope

by yeaka



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Selkies, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 12:50:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16556066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Seven chances meeting someone.





	Telescope

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mallyrn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mallyrn/gifts).



> A/N: Fill for gaynienna’s “underwater (seska/seven of nine T) selkie!seven” request on [my tumblr prompt list](http://yeaka.tumblr.com/post/179060905990/prompt-list).
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Trek: Voyager or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

The eleventh time Seven sees the woman swimming, she dares to get a little closer, almost close enough to see the darkness in her eyes—but never close enough to touch. Seven knows the rules and upholds them well, and she knows the reasons for them: _people just can’t be trusted._ Seven stays well submerged amongst the pastel coral and murky leaves, hopefully concealed. But she leaves her face uncovered so she can watch the woman swim above her.

The woman’s come alone. She almost always does, and when there are others with her, they always keep their distance—they don’t seem to _want_ her, which should probably give Seven pause, but it doesn’t, really. Most of her own kind don’t get _her_ , so maybe this woman is just the same—she seems equally meticulous, strong and unforgiving: the closest thing any mortal can come to _perfect_. And this woman’s beautiful, in her own, exotic way.

The woman’s skin is smooth and grey, not unlike the flesh on Seven’s true form. But the woman has odd dents and ridges that Seven’s other body doesn’t—hard grooves line the broad slopes of her shoulders, and there’s a concave oval in her forehead. Long, thick brown hair cascades out behind her when she swims, wafting in the water when she stops, framing her face in an artful, luxurious sort of way. She moves with swift, confident strokes, straying as far out into the ocean as she pleases, as though any predator would be foolish to face her. Seven admires that boldness. She would more admire intelligent restraint, but when she watches the woman move, it’s easy to believe that she knows exactly what she’s doing.

But she’s dangerous—Seven’s sure of it. Probably the type to hunt for sport or food, no matter how clever the creature. Faced with the chance, she might gut Seven right open, and in this form, Seven couldn’t say a thing about it. Seven could barely defend herself. Her dense, sleek body isn’t built for combat, her flippers hardly any good as weapons. So Seven bottles her curiosity and smartly waits.

When darkness finally falls above the surface, the woman slows her strokes. She rights herself in the water, bobbing up above, then swims leisurely back to the shore. Seven follows slowly after, silent but hyper-aware. Then the woman’s out into the air, alone on the cooling sand. Now will come the part where she sheds her clothes and changes into thicker fabrics, drying herself off with a little black device that looks like it blows out warm air. It will give Seven some time.

Seven thought of this. For a long time, she told herself she’d never try it—she’s a creature of habit, of strict rules and logic, and she knows the surface world is one problem after another. But she’s also a little drawn to things that are new and hint at perfection. And she wants to know that woman. So she follows the plans she’s run over for some time—she moves around the rocks to a little place tucked out of sight, where she can slide up out of the water and shimmy out of her skin.

Bit by bit, she sheds it all. The silver shell crumples to her knees, and then new feet climb out of it all together—she rises up with peach-tinted flesh and long blond hair about her shoulders. She doesn’t have any clothes to cover her like the woman does, but that’s alright—she’s not ashamed of her body. She doesn’t think the woman will be too distracted by it. And if she is... that might be something Seven’s secretly hoping for.

With firm resolve and burning want, Seven steps forward.


End file.
